


A (Stolen) Moment in Time

by DAAthren



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Amnesia, F/M, First Meetings, First Time, Loss of Virginity, Post-Episode: s07e05 The Angels Take Manhattan, Pre-Episode: s07e06 The Snowmen, Virginity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-29
Packaged: 2018-02-08 19:03:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1952586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DAAthren/pseuds/DAAthren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>-Companion Piece to Under the Glow- The Doctor is on his way to isolate himself from the Universe and the pain it brings when the Tardis is suddenly yanked off course and lands roughly somewhere in the year 2014. Upon seeing the last thing he wanted (yet yearned for) behind those blue doors, he finds himself being guided along a path that he isn't sure his hearts can take. Can the Doctor enjoy this 'gift' or will his hearts be too cold to understand?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Under the Glow](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1916130) by [DAAthren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DAAthren/pseuds/DAAthren). 



He knew he shouldn’t be here. As soon as the Tardis flung him around inside the new chromatic console room and landed with such a harsh thud, he knew whatever was outside of her blue doors he wasn’t going to be happy about it. At first when he opened the doors and saw the crowded area and smelled the aroma of sausages and frozen lemonade he thought the Tardis had decided that he needed a fun filled vacation. Just as he was about to scold his ship, he caught a scent that made his blood run cold while his hearts hammered double time in his chest…

Now here he was, mentally prodding himself and telling himself he shouldn’t be here while he followed her golden brown halo through the crowd of the amusement park that he pegged as being Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Rhinefeld side to be more exact. How could SHE be here!? Wouldn’t this be crossing his timeline!? Last time they were here, they had explored the whole park hand in hand. In fact, now that he thought about it, he didn’t remember ever letting her out of his sight. He even waited outside of the Women’s bathroom. He was so young and paranoid in those days. 

No, if this had been that time, he would have seen himself by now and this brings him back to think of how the Tardis’s landing. It was rough, almost as rough as when he landed in the parallel universe or whenever he tried to guide her into an area heavy with paradoxes. Since he definitely didn’t see any zeppelins in the sky, that only left the possibility of the area being the conjunction of several paradoxes and he needed to be careful. That thought caused him to stop dead in his tracks…what in the bloody hell was he doing!? As much as it broke his hearts and they yearned for this, he knew it was best for him to turn on his boots’ heels and head back to the Tardis. He didn’t want this kind of life anymore. He didn’t need THEM anymore…

He was jarred from his thoughts as someone slammed into his shoulder hard, nearly knocking him onto his bottom. “Oi! Watch it mate!” he grumbled as he tried to spot the rude git who had run into him.

“Sorry mate,” a light Scottish accent mumbled to him. He stood there for a few moments, trying to match the voice to a body but gave up as he watched families and school groups bustle around him at an almost unnerving rate. It was then that he noticed his inside left coat pocket was heavier than before. Frowning, he reached inside of the pocket, pulling out something wrapped in parchment paper and rectangular in shape. Marked on the outside in cursive he didn’t recognize it read ‘Unwrap your gift at the clown table to the left’. Looking up, he quickly noticed the table; rainbow colored with a clown centerpiece.

“Great,” he mumbled. “The old hit and drop delivery. This is the LAST thing I wanted to happen…”

Walking over to the table, he sat down and looked around to see if anyone seemed to be paying more attention to him than before. After seeing nothing unusual for several minutes, he looked down at the ‘gift’ and gently tore the tape bindings to reveal a cellular device. Yes, definitely an iPhone 4 with a protective case. He picked up the phone flipping it over to get a better look at the case and nearly dropped it; spray painted art of the Tardis floating in the Medusa Cascade was staring back at him. “Oh no…no, no, no…I know this case anywhere…”

Looking down at the wrapping, he noticed a white card with familiar, red cursive on it. ‘So clever, Doctor! It is INTERESTING how this causality loop came to be. Have fun! - XXXO’

“River Song…what have you done?” he thought. Flipping it over, he raised an eyebrow as he noticed it was a business card. ‘Johnathon Vale, Busch Garden Survey Representative #12, 41 Ireland Drive, 757-259-3581, Ask Me About How You Can Win an iPhone’. That name seemed familiar but he couldn’t quite put his finger on why. Looking at the phone, he tapped the screen to bring it online, greeted with the image of a tall male tied up and gagged. “I am going to assume you are Johnathon. Sorry mate…I am sure my Old Lady has a reason for tying you up. Causality loops are such fickle things,” he mumbled as he deleted the photo and checked the phone for any other information.

Confident that the cell was clean, he tucked it into his coat pocket and looked around for the wild mop of curls he was currently at the moment dreading to see.

~*~*~*~*~

She walked up to the frozen lemonade line, fanning herself lightly with her hand. She couldn’t understand how she had allowed her doctor to talk her into taking a vacation during one of the hottest summers in the last 20 years. She was even more confused as to why her doctor thought it was a good idea to send a lonely, depressed mid-age woman to an amusement park by herself but here she was, watching young couples and happy families surrounding her from all sides. It was breaking her heart even more! No, she had to get out of here. She was just going to go back to her hotel room, drink up the mini-bar, and try to come back again tomorrow.

“River Song!”

She turned towards the direction that the heavy Manchester accent had boomed from. River had to blink her eyes a few times as a young man came barreling towards her wearing a bow tie, suspenders and a heavy green overcoat. He was DEFINITELY an eyesore to say the least. “Oh thank goodness! I have been looking for you for a couple of hours.”

Ok, now she was REALLY confused. “Umm, I don’t know why you would be looking for me…can I help you?”

The lanky man stopped a few feet away from her before hunching over with his hands on his knees, taking in great, heaving breaths. “My name’s Johnathon. John for short. I work for the Survey department here at the park. You did a survey earlier with someone and you won the iPhone contest thingie.”

She blinked. “I told Taylor not to enter me in the silly contest. I have no need for a cell phone.”

“You really don’t know what you’re missing, ma’am. Candy Crush is all the rage!” John beamed, straighten up and giving her a good view of his features. He had a predominant chin and nose with bright hazel eyes and no eyebrows, which was probably due to the higher powers above trying to balance out the hair ratio with how big of a floppy mop of healthy dark brown hair he had. He definitely looked every bit of 25 and handsome. No, wait, don’t think of him like that!

“I’m sorry that you have been looking for me in this heat with that getup but I am really not interested in a cell phone,” she muttered, focusing her eyes on his browless forehead to keep them from wandering. Her response got a scoff out of him as he placed his hands on his hips. “Seriously, you seem like the kind of woman who would be a whiz with a cell. You really sure you don’t want it? The art on the back is amazing!”

“Thank you for the compliment but I have no wizardry experience with a cell phone. I don’t even have a computer at home. I prefer a good book to keep me busy. Honestly, you should probably just head back to your office. I mean, you look like you could chance heat stroke in the suit,” she mumbled, taking a few steps forward as the line moves.

He scoffed again. “I would LOVE to get somewhere cooler or feel a breeze against my skin right now OR a little less crowded but, honestly, my boss will have my arse if I don’t give you this cell. There is actually a quota we have to reach in a couple of days and I’m behind by 20. So, I am going to have to convince you in some way, shape, or form to take the bloody thing so name your price!”

She looked up to the man, narrowing her eyes on him. Quota? For handing out contest winnings? She had never heard of such a thing in her nearly 50 years of living. “Name my price huh? I assume that cell whatchamajig has service to it and a number that you probably have jotted down somewhere, yes?”

“Yup!”

“Good! Take me on a date tonight and I’ll take the cell.”

The line had moved again but this time when she took a few steps forward, the young man did not follow behind her immediately. She stared ahead, grinning from ear to ear. There! That probably would get rid of the gift giver of the unwanted gift. She wasn’t allowed to cherish her victory long because the next thing she knew, the cell phone was being pressed into her hand and John’s body was slightly flush against her; his hot breath cascading over her neck as he whispered to her. “With such a beautiful woman as you asking for a date, how could I deny your request? I’ll text you the time and place. See you later sweetie…”

She didn’t know how long she had stood there in shock but someone tapping her on the shoulder and telling her the line was moving was what unfroze her. Moving forward yet again, she turned to look for him but found that he had disappeared into the crowd. She tried to fan herself but the current heat radiating from her was not caused by the 100 degree weather. Giving a defeated sigh, she dropped from the queue even though she was next in line. The frozen lemonade had no appeal to her right now. Chilled wine or Irish Whiskey…that’s what she needed right now!

~*~*~*~*~

 _“Now you’ve done it…”_ he thought to himself as he stepped into the Tardis and closed the door behind him. The Doctor walked to the console, performing the sequence to dematerialize and frowned when the Tardis didn’t budge. He took a few steps back, looking up at the moving wheels surrounding the center column. “What is it, Old Girl?”

He looked over the console a bit before noticing an open panel. “Oh that’s just great…” he mumbled as he knelt down in front of the panel, noticing several parts essential to travelling in the Tardis missing. He also rolled his eyes as he pulled the note marked for him in High Gallifreyan off of the main power cord. ‘Mae'n ddrwg gennym ond gwybod i chi y ffordd yr wyf yn ei wneud, mae'n debyg na fyddwch yn mynd ar y dyddiad y gwnaethoch addo oni bai eich bod yn cael unrhyw ddewis. Bob amser yn rhedeg i ffwrdd oddi wrth y pethau a fydd yn eich brifo fwyaf. Peidiwch ag edrych ceffyl rhodd yn y geg. Yr ydych wedi colli digon o amser fel y mae. Cymerwch ychydig o yn ôl...’

He dragged his hand over his face in frustration, folding the note up and sticking it inside his pocket to join the earlier instructions left for him. “I’ve never been guided around so much in all my lives,” he mumbled before his face broke out into a mad grin. “I kind of like the lack of control. Maybe even what I needed for a bit…”

Pulling River’s note from his inner pocket, he read over it a few times as he sat himself down, settling his back against the console. _“I miss you so much, dear. You and your parents: the Girl Who Waited, The Centurion, and the Doctor’s Wife. I wish I could have done more for you. I lose everything good in the end…everything I love…”_

The Doctor didn’t notice the comforting hum on the Tardis growing in the back of his mind nor the tears falling freely from his face. All he could think about was the feeling of his hearts shattering in his chest again. The latest note was right…he did need to feel Time linearly for just a little while. Yes…just a little while…


	2. Delivery for Two?

It was around 4.30pm when she heard her new phone yell ‘Fantastic’ to her and buzz loudly against her end table. She had completely forgotten she had the damned thing. Picking up the device, she followed the instructions until she got to the messaging area, finding 1 single message there under the name John. Tapping the screen, it revealed white lettering on a blue backdrop.

~I know you are probably very new to the whole texting thing so no need to reply. Meet me at the Blue Talon Bistro at 6pm. Wear something nice but not to formal, maybe even purple in tone. - Oncoming Storm~

Oh, that was simple enough but where was she going to get a purple dress from? Purple was her least favorite color as far as she could remember. She was still recovering bits and pieces of her life before the accident, which even that was blurred to her as she only knew what her doctor was able to find out from the stranger that had brought her to the hospital. She apparently had a freak accident involving a prototype car at her ex-employer, which overloaded her system and drained it of energy. Even her neurons weren’t firing properly until weeks later after manual simulation around the clock from the nursing staff. 

She dragged herself out of her thoughts as she placed the phone on the table and flopped down on the bed, letting the current situation take her from the painful thought of her shattered life. _“I, River Song, am about to go on my first date in my new life with someone half the age I am. I think you just broke about every dating rule there is…”_

Running a hand through her curls, she was just about to rummage through her suitcase on her bed when she heard a soft knock at the door. She made her way over; looking through the peephole to see a very tall, madly grinning fellow holding up what looked like…dry cleaning. Sliding the chain lock in place and popping the latch lock, she opened the door as far as the chained allow, eyeing the fellow warily. The fellow’s smile faltered for a moment but then became impossibly wider. “Hello! I was told to deliver this to this room at this time for some purpose I can’t quite remember right now…wow, ‘ello!” he stated excitedly in an Estuary accent.

She frowned. “You said hello twice...”

He frowned at her comment and she could almost see the cogs turning behind his gorgeous brown eyes before a silent ‘ding’ of completion and he took off on another ramble. “Oh yes, I remember now why I am supposed to bring this bag to this room at this time! I actually spent several days trying to find the right design and color for this but then I had it sitting up on the rack and realized it was just no good at all so I stood there with a banana in one hand and my sonic in the other and went, ‘What the hell! I haven’t sewed in years’. So THEN I went walking through the Tardis, er, that’s my estate’s name, and found my long forgotten sewing room. After several weeks of re-remembering my skills, and quite a few trips to pick up plasters, bananas, and marmalade, I finally created the perfect dress for you to wear tonight so could you open this door and let me in so you can see for yourself how BRILLIANT I am with a sewing machine?”

She blinked several times, only catching several phrases that came from his gob. She was sure that she looked dumb struck and confused but he just kept grinning anyway as he rocked back on his heels several times. After several moments of them just staring at one another, he coughed and spoke up. “You know it is REALLY rude to leave someone standing in the hallway when they come bearing gifts!”

Finally snapping out of her stupor, she closed the door briefly to unfasten the chain lock before swinging it open wide and inviting him in. He strode into the room in a blur of moment; his long brown coat wisped behind him as well as the dry cleaning bag. He was so tall that the super long piece of plastic didn’t even touch the ground with him carrying it over his shoulder by the hanger. She watched him curiously for a moment as he, himself, curiously looked over his surroundings and then back to her. The momentary sadness she had seen when she first opened the door flashed across his face again as he looked over her with caring eyes but, again, just as quickly the sadness was displaced as his manic grin took over. She couldn’t help but notice that it didn’t reach his eyes. “By chance, does the back of the door have a coat hook on it?”

“I honestly don’t know,” she pondered as she closed the door. Sure enough, there was a hook on the back of door. He made of noise of pure amusement as he pushed past her and hung the bag up.

“So are you ready to see your dress for the evening?”

She shook her head. “Honestly, are you sure you got the right room? You said you have been working on this dress for weeks and I only just met John today by random chance.”

“I certainly did not say that I’ve been working on this for weeks.”

“Yes, you did.”

“No, I didn’t,” he said winking with a click of his tongue, which caused her to raise an eyebrow questioningly. His grin was contagious though and she couldn’t help grinning up at him as they stood there in comfortable silence for a few moments before he reached for the bag’s zipper and pulled it down revealing an ivory dress with a lilac lace layer and a slightly darker lilac leather belt that clinched in the middle. “I know what you are thinking? How did he make a belt in a few hours? Because that is how long this dress took to make and you heard no different from me earlier,” he said with a tut of his teeth.

River looked up at him and then to the dress again. “You brought it. I can still see the T.J. Max tag on it.”

He inhaled sharply, reaching inside his coat to pull out a pair of brown speckle glasses. He leaned over her shoulder, looking at the tag, and ripped it off; tossing it over his shoulder to land in the waste bin by the dresser. “Alright, ALRIGHT! I admit it. I DID buy the belt but I did make the dress myself. No cheatsie…stuff or anything like that.”

“You sure? Nothing else you cheatsie slipped in there.”

“Nope!” he exclaimed, popping the ‘p’. “Everything I did myself except for the belt. Well, the belt and the shoes that are sitting in the bottom of the bag. I’m horrible at making shoes. I tried to make a pair of Roman sandals with Julius once. Rome was short leather for 3 months and the curer was backed up for 6. Yup! I’m definitely not a shoe maker. Anyway, go try on your new dress! I’ll stay right here so I can check to make sure that it fits you properly and if not, I can make adjustments right away.”

She pulled the dress off of the hanger, “Wouldn’t it take you hours to make adjustments? My date is at 6.”

He flinched at her words but before she could ask if she said something wrong, his gob was going at 100 miles an hour. “Do you see the artisan work that went into that dress!? I did that in a couple of hours and shopped for your shoes and accessories, which is the belt and, oh, I forgot the bangle bracelets sitting with the shoes as well. Called in a favor from a jeweler friend, the bracelets are made out of Aurorian Amethyst. Will last LIFETIMES! Either way, back on subject, I can make adjustments before you even blink your eyes with my very nimble fingers. I can change the spark plug on a Volkswagen in 2.8 seconds flat. Pretty impressive if I say so myself!”

“You have such random skillsets, no?” she smirked.

“Oh you have no idea,” he said, wetting his lips with his tongue.

~*~*~*~*~

She always knew how to make an entrance but it was always her quieter entries that made his hearts skip beats even more so than usual and made his stomach do some weird yet enjoyable acrobatics in his midsection. He watched as River gingerly stepped out of the luxury taxi, balancing impressively on super high wedges that brought her nearly to his height and buckled around her ankles for security; her dress came just above the knee, revealing lightly tanned and toned calves. The leather belt buckled just below her bosom, accenting her full mounds while allowing the dress to flare out bringing the eyes down to appreciate her curvy hips. Her hair was pinned up in a messy French bun; the usually wild curls tamed to defined waves as a cluster of lilac flowers tucked behind her ear gave her an innocent look.

He couldn’t help but smile sheepishly as she made her way over to him; her steps a bit unsure. He assumed her younger self didn’t have as much experience with walking in dangerously high heels; the thought only amused him even more. “You look even more beautiful now than you did in the park earlier.”

A flush of red went across her tanned cheeks, “Oh stop it. I’m not some pretty young thing!”

“You are to me…” he whispered as he offered his hand. She looked up to him stunned and he was afraid that he was being a little too forward. Even though he knew this younger version of his wife didn’t know him yet, he still felt so comfortable around her and scared at the same time. 

She was looking through him right now, only seeing a young man and not the ancient being that he was and he understood all too well now how it must have been for her back when he was the young one. The Doctor didn’t think his love for his wife could get any deeper and anymore tragic but as the seconds went by as he could see her debating whether or not to trust him and take his hand, the more his hearts soared with love for her. Seconds -that seemed like hours- later, she placed her hand in his; her smile shy and appreciative.

He smiled back to her, guiding her into the establishment. Nodding to the hostess, they made their way past her towards the back corner of the restaurant, which got him a confused look from River. He shrugged his shoulder at her before opening a door under an arch of ivory that revealed a candlelit garden of various flowers with strategically placed evergreens to block out the outside world. A pond sat in the middle of the garden outlined with smooth stones and an oak wood bridge that leads to a platform positioned in the middle of the pond; a table for two set up with chilled wine, candelabra, and a board covered with various meats, crackers, and cheeses.

He watched her for a moment as she took in the sight, a soft gasp coming from her. It was moments like this that he missed her the most. Looking at things beautiful and breathtaking and she not there to give that soft gasp and wide eyed look that healed all the scars he gathered from his adventures since the last time he saw her but this time…this time was so much different, so much more! Her eyes were wide and the gasp was the same but in the depth of her eyes there was a true innocence. This was a River that has never left the Earth; a River that has never seen the inside of the Tardis or the battles in which she had to take someone’s life. This was a truly INNOCENT River and it made his hearts swell with love as well as ache a little deeper.

It would be so easy to just scoop her up and take her away. It would change history is such a drastic way that he was sure the universe would implode on its self within 5 years’ time but, then again, that was 5 years of a River that was never trained to be a psychopath; a River he would never have to break out of Stormcage because he faked his own death.

**_“Not those times. Not one line! Don't you dare!”_ **

He was snapped out of his trance as the words echoed around in his head. It was at this time he noticed that she was staring at him, worry written upon her face. “John, are you alright?”

“I’m always alright,” he mumbled before giving her his most honest smile, “Especially when I have such beautiful company. Let’s go sit down and eat before your wine becomes warm.”

She raised an eyebrow questioningly. “You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?”

He looked down in shame. “No, I didn’t. I was wrapped up in a memory. You remind me of someone dear to me.”

“People say that all the time to me. I’ve met a lot of my friends because of it. I must just have one of those faces,” she beamed.

“It’s funny that you say that. I always complain that I have one of those faces that no one takes seriously. That or they make fun of my chin!” he exclaimed as he scratched the underside of it in remembrance. “Enough about faces though, can you please repeat what you said earlier? I promise you have my full attention.”

She nodded to him and reached inside of her lilac hobo bag, her bracelets jingling as she rummaged around. “The gentleman who delivered this ensemble to me told me to give this to you. He said you should read it before asking me any questions about it. He did have QUITE the gob on him. Couldn’t understand half of the things he was said. Loved his accent though and I have to admit, he was QUITE a pretty boy,” she mumbled as she pulled out a white envelope and handed it to him. Oh, the people who set this whole thing up were giving him more instructions. What else could they possibly want from him that wouldn’t cause Williamsburg to become the next Reaper nesting grounds?

Opening the envelope, he pulled out a white stock card from inside. ‘Yr wyf yn cyflawni fy diwedd y fargen felly yr wyf yn disgwyl y diffibriliwr seicig i gael eu darparu i mi ar yr unfed gyntaf mis Ebrill. Rwy'n gwybod na fyddaf yn cofio dim ond yn dal! Mae'n rhan bwysig IAWN oni bai eich bod am i'r Bydysawd i ffrwydro... 

Hefyd, NID yn gwneud beth bynnag yr ydych yn meddwl ar hyn o bryd! Yr wyf yn gwybod eich bod am i gadw ei holl i chi eich hun, ond mae gormod yn y fantol. Mwynhewch yr amser sydd gennych yn y presennol yn hytrach na byw yn y gorffennol neu'n meddwl am y dyfodol. Dim ond yr yma ac yn awr...’

He placed the card back inside of the envelope, looking to River with a gentle smile on his face, hoping that he didn’t look as suspicious as he was felt right then. The card only added to his unsureness about everything. How did someone get into the Tardis without him noticing? Whoever set this up along with River had to have superior knowledge of time travel in order to narrow down the possibilities and guide him where they wanted him to be in order to keep the paradox from becoming too much for the world to handle. What if the River that helped set up this paradox was the one who still wanted to kill him? Even after she gave up her additional lives for him, she admitted to still wanting to take his life and even made plans. She never told him what the plans entailed or if she tried them but they were still, well, planned. “Oh River…”

“Yes, dear?” she answered. He hadn’t even noticed he had spoken out loud but her causal answer snapped him back to the present. That’s what the card said to do, right? Think only about the here, now, and present. He took a deep breath and closed the gap between him and her. The sudden motion made her breath catch in her chest and she instinctively took a step back but he gently grasped her before she could get out of reach. Closing his eyes, he placed a soft kiss to her forehead, letting his lips linger there before stepping away.

She looked up at him dazed. “What was that for?”

“Because…” he whispered more into the air instead of her. Silently, he took her hand in his and guided her towards the table.

**_“It's okay. It's okay, it's not over for you. You'll see me again. You've got all of that to come. You and Me… Time and Space. You watch us run!”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note says:
> 
> I fulfilled my end of the bargain so I expect that psychic defibrillator to be delivered to me on the twenty first of April. I know I won't remember anything but still! It is a VERY important part unless you want the Universe to explode...
> 
> Also, do NOT do whatever you are thinking right now! I know you want to keep her all to yourself but too much is at stake. Enjoy the time that you have in the present instead of living in the past or thinking about the future. There is only the here and now...


	3. Her Secret

She wiped tears away from her eyes as she tried to control her laughter. “Are you telling me that you really met the Queen and got her to dress up in a chicken outfit!?”

“Yes! This really did happen! She forced all the reporters at the Ball to sign confidentiality papers that said if they told ANYONE she would have them beheaded, which, did you know is still a legal form of execution in the UK?”

“Oh dears! Better make sure I never tell anyone about this story then or else,” she giggled as she made a slicing motion with her hand to her neck. 

He bellowed with laughter. “Oh I’m sure the first one she would behead is me and I rather keep my last life.”

“Don’t you mean your only life?” she snickered as she took a swig of her wine. He instantly became silent, staring at her as if she had just kicked a puppy. “I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?”

He shook his head. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. Life is just so short, you know? We are always striving forward and thinking about the future and the What Ifs but we never just say, ‘Today, I am just going to live’. We rush towards the future and never just simply, comfortably, enjoy the present. There is only ever one moment of the present. After you do or say something, it is in the past. Once you think or plan for something, that’s the future. Why not just enjoy the doing of something? The present…no one ever just stops and enjoys the car ride to the future destination or the chopping and stirring of ingredients before the dish is finished cooking. I think from this point on, I am going to stop and enjoy the present linearly more often. Never know when your ‘only’ life is up…”

She put her wine glass down and simply stared at him, gobsmacked. Here he was, 29 years old and wiser than her. When she was his age, she never pondered anything like what he just said without stopping to think about one word of it. She was worried about getting her next paycheck and going to the pub with friends. Well, at least that is what Martha told her before disappearing from her life. “You know, your words are very true. If you had told me that a few months ago, I wouldn’t have believed you, I think. People have told me I was a busybody and never stayed in one place for too long. Always going. Always planning. Always moving. Now I wish I could remember being so narrow minded.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Well, a year ago I was in a terrible accident and it left me with no memory of who I was before waking up in the hospital from a 6 month long coma. I have no family. People who I thought were my friends left me because they couldn’t handle the change. It was as if I died and they were talking to a ghost.” She refused to look up from her glass. She didn’t want to see the disappointment and fear in his eyes. They were having such a nice talk too and she probably just ruined the mood. After several long minutes, he gently placed his hand on top of hers and gave it a firm squeeze.

“I’m sorry that you don’t have any recollection of your life but I hope this new one is treating you well,” he whispered. Did she really just hear him right? He wasn’t freaked out or upset with her. He was completely and totally fine with her suffering from amnesia.

She beamed at him, intertwining her fingers with his. “You don’t know what a relief it is to hear that from you! I have been fighting with myself all night about whether or not I should tell you.”

“Anyone that would hold that bit of information against you has no business being in your life. I think you are, quite frankly, truly and utterly amazing!” he beamed. 

She tittered excitedly at him and was about to thank him for his kindness when their waitress, Kimberly, came towards them. “A little birdy told me that you two might be ready to order after sitting here for nearly two whole hours and nibbling on the Butcher’s tasting board.” At that very moment, their stomachs growled loudly in unison, making them both blush.

“May I have the Lamb Shank on the rare side please?” she asked.

“Yes ma’am! And what will you be having sir?”

He looked over the menu, his eyes wide. “Everything just looks so good! Do you have any suggestions?”

“If you like spice, we have our wonderful Seafood Curry as a special tonight. If you have a very normal, picky palate, I would suggest the Braised Beef, Meatloaf, or Rotisserie Chicken. If you want to try something a bit exotic for the area, I would suggest the Calves Livers or the Seared Duck Breast.”

He made a blatant ‘yuck’ face. “Those livers don’t sound very appetizing but everything else sounds delicious. I’ll take one of everything on the entree menu besides the madam’s lamb shank and the dreadful livers!”

Kim blinked her eyes a few times before focusing on him. “You want one of all but two entrees? Are you expecting more people oooor…?”

“No, it is just us and yes, I am very serious about that. As you can see, I burn it all off faster than I can take it all in!” he beamed. The waitress shrugged her shoulders and jotted down the order on several pieces of paper before running down the bridge and into the restaurant faster than she had seen her do it before. River could imagine the look on the kitchen staff’s faces when she tells them that the special garden people ordered nearly half of the dinner menu.

“I’m assuming you have room in your fridge at home for all the leftovers, yes?”

“I honestly do eat a lot more than most people think I can. There won’t be as many leftovers as you think especially when I’m going to be sharing with you,” he winked. Oh, he was smooth. Reeaaal smooth…

“I read online that they give pretty generous portions here. I’m sure I’ll be full by the time I finish my lamb and trust me I will DEFINITELY be finishing my plate. There is a reason I have meat on my bones,” she smirked, feeling a bit brave. Or maybe that was just the alcohol talking…

“Oh I am sure we can pack away a lot of the food. I love a woman who eats what she wants when she wants it,” he smiled. Hmm, did this guy have any flaws? He comes out to dinner dressed to the nines in a long purple overcoat, velvet vest, and perfectly tailored trousers. Not a strand of hair is out of place and is perfectly slicked back, giving him a handsome gentleman look more so than his earlier floppy I’m-a-young-man-and-a-bachelor look. He made great conversation, experienced things she could never dream of, and had wise bits of advice between the outrageous stories he told. And he was looking at her as if she was a Goddess and he wanted, no NEEDED, to worship the ground she walked on.

“How come you haven’t been scooped up?” she blurted out, semi-lost in her awe of him. He pondered her question for a moment before grabbing the wine bottle and refilling her glass.

“Ah, there is one of the really personal questions I was waiting for and to be all honest, I have had a few women walk into my life that I thought I was going to share it with but things happened. One lady decided that she had outgrown me sort of, one got separated from me and came back but I ultimately decided they were better off without me than with me, and I was actually married once but one of my adventures went a bit pear shaped and she didn’t make it,” he stated flatly, looking up to her with eyes that carried a weight she hadn’t seen earlier.

“Oh, I am so sorry. You seem so lively that I never imagined you had been through so much pain. Please forgive me for asking such a thing,” she whispered, tearing up a bit. He reached across the table and cupped her cheek gently, wiping a tear away that had escaped.

“You didn’t know but, honestly, sitting here talking to you about anything and everything makes it a bit better. I’ll wallow in self-pity later but right now…” he whispered, caressing her cheek with his thumb. “Right now, I have a beautiful woman in front of me that even my wife would approve of and, just for a while, I only have eyes on her. That’s, of course, if said beautiful woman was ok with everything I just mentioned.”

His eyes bore into her in a way that sent a shiver down her spine, heat across her exposed skin yet it frighten her the emotional storm she saw brewing within the hazel depths of his eyes. For a brief moment when he told her of his wife, she was afraid that she was just filling his time while he longed for another but now she wondered how she could have ever thought that this older man hiding in a young man’s body would ever do such a thing. No…he only saw her right now and he was admitting to enjoying her company thoroughly. “Yes,” she squeaked. “I’m fine with what you said…”

“Good,” he groaned out sharply, his voice somewhere between anger and hunger. “I’m going to kiss you now. I hope that’s fine as well.”

Her breath hitched in her chest at his words. “You better…”

He searched her eyes a moment longer before placing his lips gently upon hers, which surprised her. With the gravel in his voice moments ago, she was expecting him to kiss her harshly but this chaste kiss; the way his lips caressed and nuzzled hers. The way his tongue traced her inner lips, asking for silent permission, and she gave it willingly as she parted her lips for him. It was all driving her a bit mad and she felt her body hum in a way that only her former girlfriends had told her about. By the time she was able to gather her wits enough to pull away, she was left overwhelmingly breathless and he inhaled sharply as if he had forgotten how to breathe, his eyes closed as if savoring a piece of rich cake. “What’s wrong?” he asked huskily, his face still hovering over hers mere inches away.

She panted. “Nothing is wrong. That kiss was beyond anything I have ever experienced before and that’s what I wanted to say before we continue to kiss that amazingly well. I haven’t experienced anything like THIS before.”

**Author's Note:**

> The note reads as follows: 
> 
> Sorry but knowing you the way I do, you probably won't go on the date you promised unless you have no choice. Always running away from the things that will hurt you the most.
> 
> Do not look a gift horse in the mouth. You have lost enough Time as it is. Take a little of it back...


End file.
